First-place guy took the lead right away and never looked back. He was what they call gone. Second-place guy was also well ahead of us slow-pokes. "Us slow-pokes" consisted of third-place guy and fourth-place guy, me.
This was the Pan American Masters Games 1500 race for males 70-74 at Baldwin Wallace Finnie Stadium. I'd gone in with much fear and trepidation. A metric-mile track race was far outside my comfort zone. I felt like a fish out of water. I thought it possible, perhaps probable, that I might finish dead last or get lapped, or both.
But on this humid, ninety-degree day, I was managing to hold my own. I was close to third-place guy, but I couldn't seem to pass him. Until the final 100 meters, that is. That's when I found another gear, one I never knew I had. I never thought of myself as a kicker, but kick I did today. I finished third in 6:59, a second or two in front of the other guy. I wound up with a nice PAMG bronze medal.
It was great meeting my competitors and seeing all sorts of new and old friends. My fear was, it turns out, unfounded. Coming up next: the track 5000 on Tuesday, and the Half Marathon next Sunday.
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